Friday

Doing What You've Always Done

"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten" - Anthony Robbins

If you really think about this quote, you will realise how deeply profound this simple statement is . . .

if we do what we always do - we will get what we've always got!

That's wonderful if what we've got is good and makes us content and happy, it is a really great blueprint for keeping the good things in your life going well - just keep doing what you are doing, it's working!

But if there are areas in our lives we recognise as not working as well as they could, then perhaps we have to recognise the truth of that statement and move out of our habitual way of doing certain things.

If we want different results, we have to try doing things a little differently and be prepared to face the sometimes scary and uncomfortable feelings that come from stepping outside of our comfort zone.

I see it as steering a car, if we constantly bump the curb, then just by making little adjustments on the steering wheel we can correct our course. If we have always wanted to see what the scenery is like over there, then we have to indicate and make a turn, or we will continue on the same road.

What a powerful realisation that is! Once you are conscious of the fact that you have a choice and that it is YOU steering the car, you just have to decide - now, where do I want to go.

"You cannot surpass the current paradigm from within the current paradigm. You must discover a greater paradigm and expand into it." - Alan Cohen

11 comments:

I like your analogy of driving a car- if we keep bumping the curve, we need to adjust the steering wheel. The quote about paradigm shift brings to mind one of my favorite quotes from Einstein. "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it."

There's also this phenomenom that what we resist persists, or, for every action there is an equal an opposite reaction. Sometimes my efforts to change backfire, i.e. efforts to lose weight eventually rebound into weight gain. This makes me wonder about accessing true power for change, instead of just getting stuck in endlessly repeating internal battles. There's a book with an interesting title, "Power vs. Force" by David Hawkins which looks at the difference between "bullying" ourselves into good behavior (force), versus accessing true power for positive change, and this power ultimately comes from love or presence. Thanks for an inspiring and empowering post Susannah...I feel emboldened to move past the fence of my comfort zones.

Love your post. The message has been something I've been dealing with for about eleven years. Prior to that, I never knew that I had choices. Can you imagine that? I thought life happened to me and I had no part in it. However, it is so true that if you don't like what you are experiencing, see something different to do, see it through different eyes. Change from within and what a fresh new outlook!

You are the first person I clicked the follow button on and I've never been so happy with my choice in doing that I just read this newest post and it speaks to me on a variety of different levels and I think you should aim for that every time. I would love to hear what you have to say about my blogs.

Hi everyone and thanks so much for your comments, they are much appreciated. :-)

Colleen - I agree with what you say about "what we resists persists" and I also found it interesting hearing about the book power vs. force - thanks for your thoughtful comment.

Ann - yes, as you say, change is often frightening and sticking with the 'devil you know' is a choice too. In staying where we are comfortable and adapting to those circumstances, we can learn just as much.

Hi Ellen (In-Joy-in my life)- I think that is a really good point you make when you say - "I never knew that I had choices. Can you imagine that?" Yes, I can! I think most of us start from that point and that is why it is so empowering to realise that we do have a choice - even if it is only how we choose to view things (which is incredibly powerful, as you know.) :-)

bartel - yes, choice is definitely in our hands! Thanks so much for visiting and leaving a comment - it is good to meet you. :-)

IAndrew - Thanks very much for your comment - I am so glad that this post spoke to you. :-)(I will check out your blog)

This quote is shallow in my opinion. It is supposed to be an affirmation of a person's ability to control their own lives but it fails to convey the truth that external forces affect our lives.

There are certainly situations and events that occur that are out of our control and affect us profoundly and sometimes negatively which would have been no different had we done things differently.

If you are happy, and something awful happens to you, perhaps you wont be happy anymore despite doing all the things you've done i the past to be so. In this way it appeals the quote appeals to the negative traits of people with an already internal locus of control in such a way that by living it as a mantra, can be disastrous for ones psyche.

The quote's weakness in the way it resounds in people's minds is that while being great for someone with an external locus of control, it may not especially appealing to them. And conversely it appeals to those with an internal locus, while being damaging.

This is a quote that a friend of mine found inspired him to make his choices but when control was taken from him due to illness, he fell into despair, and suicide. It is important to recognise you have choices in life, but accept that some things are beyond your control too, and you will be more healthy and happy for it.

I totally agree with you that there are so many things in life that are out of our control.

You summed it up when you said - "There are certainly situations and events that occur that are out of our control and affect us profoundly and sometimes negatively which would have been no different had we done things differently."

But I don't know if I agree with your statement - "This quote is shallow in my opinion. It is supposed to be an affirmation of a person's ability to control their own lives but it fails to convey the truth that external forces affect our lives."

The way I see it, is that the quote is what you read into it, what it means to you personally, I didn't take it as an affirmation of my ability to control my life, just as a helpful reminder to realise that when it comes to making choices I should perhaps be a bit more conscious of where that choice is leading me, rather than blindly continuing doing the same things. If I want a different answer maybe I have to ask a different question.

I think all quotes are subject to our own interpretations of them and no one quote can say it all.

Thank you for visiting, I really appreciate you leaving a comment and sharing your point of view.